


arms that were open

by sarahyyy



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, M/M, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 03:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3962605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahyyy/pseuds/sarahyyy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You said to find a way to stay. It was the most convenient way.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	arms that were open

Enjolras thinks of Grantaire trailing teasing touches over his skin, thinks of Grantaire tucking himself against him, thinks of the way Grantaire’d smiled softly at him when he woke up and pressed the softest of kisses to the corner of his lips. He thinks about how he’s never lied to Lamarque, and says, “You said to find a way to stay. It was the most convenient way.”

Lamarque’s gaze goes hard. “And there will be no complications?” 

It’s not a question; it is a warning.

Enjolras thinks of Grantaire laughing, bright and easy and _happy_. “No,” he says. 

Lamarque nods. “There is a lot weighing on this,” she reminds Enjolras, and waits for Enjolras to acknowledge the statement with a nod before she turns to leave.

Enjolras turns and walks down the hallway in the opposite direction, heartbeat too fast and too loud in his ear. He doesn’t know if Lamarque believes him, doesn’t know how he’d be able to talk his way out of it if Lamarque finds out, doesn’t know what Lamarque would do to Grantaire if he finds out. 

He turns the corner-

-and freezes.

“Gran-” he starts to say, but Grantaire presses his palm over Enjolras’ mouth. 

He listens to the fading echoes of Lamarque’s heels still audible in the hallway, and his chest tightens at the thought of Grantaire overhearing his conversation with Lamarque. 

Grantaire waits to hear the creak of the door leading to the exit open and then close before he lets his hand fall from Enjolras’ mouth. 

“How much did you hear?” Enjolras asks. 

He reaches out to grip Grantaire’s arm, to anchor himself and stop his heart from trying to beat out of his chest, but Grantaire flinches slightly, as if he’s _afraid_ of Enjolras, and Enjolras draws his hand back quickly. 

“Enough,” Grantaire answers him, and looks away from Enjolras. He takes a breath, and then another. “I think I heard most of it,” he confesses quietly.

Enjolras swallows. “Grantaire, I-”

Grantaire shakes his head. “Not here,” he tells Enjolras. “The men are due for a shift change soon. We’ll talk back hom- Back at my place.”

—

They make the journey back to Grantaire’s apartment in strained silence. 

Enjolras spends the entire walk trying to gage Grantaire’s reaction, but he walks ahead of Enjolras at a quicker pace than Enjolras knows Grantaire usually takes. He squashes down his instinct to speed his steps up, and lets Grantaire have his space. Instead, he thinks about what he’s going to say, what he can say, to make things better, to make Grantaire understand that he was just saying what he had to say to make sure that Grantaire would never have to be a part of this. 

He’s expecting Grantaire to be upset, to be angry, but when they get back to Grantaire’s apartment, Grantaire just sinks down onto the nearest couch, and rubs a hand over his face. He looks tired and sad, he’s missing all the indignation that Enjolras thought he would have, and Enjolras feels worse about the whole situation. 

“Grantaire,” Enjolras starts. He doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know where to start. “Grantaire, I’m sorry.”

Grantaire laughs a little, bitterly, when Enjolras is still trying to find his words, and says, “I figured something was up the moment you approached me at the bar. Because people like you don’t go for people like me unless they needed something, but you were there, and you were so different from anyone else who has ever tried to get close to me to win Gueulemer’s favour- I didn’t say no because I was curious.” He closes his eyes. “And after, I _couldn’t_ say no, because it felt different, it felt real, like there was something more to it than just you using me.” He huffs out a laugh, opens his eyes and slowly meets Enjolras’ gaze again. “Guess you’re just really good at your job, huh?”

Enjolras opens his mouth to interject, but Grantaire shakes his head and keeps speaking.

“But the thing is, I was fine with you using me to bring you closer to bringing the syndicate down,” he tells Enjolras, and snorts when Enjolras starts at that. “There are only two reasons why anyone would want an in with Gueulemer, to get in on the action or to try to dismantle it. You really don’t seem like one for the former. What are you? A cop?”

Enjolras nods. There isn’t really any reason to lie to Grantaire, not when he could probably guess as much already.

Grantaire sighs. “You could’ve asked,” he tells Enjolras. 

Enjolras frowns at that, uncomprehending. 

“For help,” Grantaire clarifies. “You needed access to Gueulemer, right? If you’d asked me for help, I would’ve helped. You didn’t have to lie to me, you didn’t have to-” He makes a broad sweeping gesture with his hands, as if trying to point out the things Enjolras has populated his apartment with. “You didn’t have to pretend to want me. I would’ve helped if you’d asked.” 

“Why?” Enjolras asks, surprised. Grantaire may not be actively participating in the doings of Patron-Minette, but his father set the syndicate up, his brother is one of the four heads of the group now, and he grew up surrounded by its people. He’d never turn against them; he has no reason to.

“Why do you think?” Grantaire asks, voice cracking in the middle as he loses control of his tears. “Why do you think I would want to help you, Enjolras? What reason could I possibly have for wanting to make sure that you’re safe when you’re out doing things that could get you killed?” He tries for a laugh but it comes out sounding too weak, too sad. “Like I said, I guess you’re really good at your job.”

Enjolras goes to him, sinks down on his knees in front of Grantaire, and cups Grantaire’s face in his hand. “Grantaire,” he says. “R, you must know I didn’t mean what I said to Lamarque, _you must know_. I never pretended to want you, I never had to. I never had to try to want to be around you, I was always comfortable around you. Being with you felt natural, felt _right_. There was always something more, and I know you must’ve felt it too.”

Grantaire chokes out a sob, and then lists forwards, sliding down the couch and winding his arms around Enjolras, pressing his face to Enjolras’ neck. Enjolras holds him close, presses kisses to Grantaire’s hair, whispers apology after apology. 

“Ask me to help,” Grantaire whispers, when he’s calmed down significantly. “Gueulemer’s been trying to get me to take interest in the syndicate. I can go to him, tell him I’ve changed my mind. I can be useful, Enjolras, I can help. Ask me to help.”

Enjolras shakes his head, because Grantaire was right when he said that it was dangerous. Enjolras has no trouble believing that Gueulemer won’t go easy on Grantaire if he finds out that Grantaire has betrayed him, not even though they’re brothers by blood. 

“I won’t ask you to do this for me,” Enjolras says, but even as he’s saying the words, he’s thinking of what an asset Grantaire could be if he were privy to the ongoings of the inner circle of Patron-Minette. He shakes his head again, more to convince himself rather than Grantaire this time. “No, I won’t risk you getting hurt.”

“Do this for me, then,” Grantaire tells him. “I’m not brave enough to do it for myself, but I can do this for you. Ask me to do this for you, for me.”

“Grantaire-”

“ _Please_ ,” Grantaire says.

Enjolras nods, and then kisses Grantaire fiercely. “But we do this together,” he tells Grantaire.

Grantaire nods. “And no more lies,” he says softly, tangling their fingers together. 

Enjolras squeezes Grantaire’s hand. “No more lies,” he promises.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know I've already written an undercover cop au, but this is what happens when I watch TVB cop shows, sorry. /o\ 
> 
> I'm [here on tumblr](http://sarah-yyy.tumblr.com), come say hi! :D


End file.
